Crude-by-rail safety bill introduced in U.S. House of Representatives

Written by David C. Lester, Editor-in-Chief
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Washington State Department of Ecology

FreightWaves is reporting that Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.) introduced the Crude by Rail Volatility Standard Act (H.R. 5553) yesterday. He was joined by four co-sponsors, all Democrats – Reps. Bill Foster of Illinois, Barbara Lee of California, Nita M. Lowey of New York and Jamie Rasin of Maryland.

The bill is now under review by the U.S. House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials, and it says that if crude oil’s Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) exceeds 9.5 pounds per square inch (psi), the crude cannot be transported.

Garamendi says “Every day we delay the implementation of a stronger safety standard for the transport of Bakken crude oil-by-rail lives are at risk. My bill simply requires oil companies to decrease the volatility to market levels rather than carrying unstable products through communities. I am committed to enacting this legislation into law this year as part of the surface transportation reauthorization.”

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